Steve Howey: Age, Wife, Family and Career
Steve Howey has built a remarkably versatile acting career across sitcoms, dramas, action films, and television series. Many viewers first remember him as Van Montgomery on Reba, while a later generation knows him as Kevin Ball from Shameless. His career also includes appearances in films such as Bride Wars, Something Borrowed, and DOA: Dead or Alive, along with television roles in projects such as Sons of Anarchy and True Lies.
Born in San Antonio, Texas, on July 12, 1977, Steve Howey is 49 years old as of August 2026. His path into entertainment was influenced by his father, acting coach Bill Howey, but his early life also included an unusual experience: his family spent time living and traveling aboard sailboats along the Pacific Coast.
Beyond his professional life, readers often search for information about Steve Howey’s wife, children, age, education, family background, and what he has done since Shameless. This guide brings those details together while tracing the major stages of his acting career.
Key Takeaways
- Steve Howey was born on July 12, 1977, in San Antonio, Texas.
- He became widely recognized as Van Montgomery on Reba and Kevin Ball on Shameless.
- Howey attended Northeastern Junior College on a basketball scholarship before pursuing acting more seriously.
- He was married to actress Sarah Shahi from 2009 until their divorce was finalized in 2021.
- The former couple has three children: a son and twins.
- His post-Shameless work has included True Lies, Day Shift, Happy’s Place, and other television and film projects.
Steve Howey Biography
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Steve Michael Robert Howey |
| Date of Birth | July 12, 1977 |
| Age | 49 years old as of August 2026 |
| Birthplace | San Antonio, Texas, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Actor, producer |
| Education | Green Mountain High School; Northeastern Junior College |
| Years Active | 1990s–present |
| Known For | Reba, Shameless, True Lies, Day Shift |
| Major Achievements | Long-running television roles and a broad film and television career |
Who Is Steve Howey?
Steve Howey is an American actor best known for combining comedy with more dramatic and physically demanding roles. His ability to move between sitcoms and darker television dramas has been one of the defining features of his career.
He first gained major television recognition through Reba, where he played Van Montgomery, the husband of Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery. The sitcom ran from 2001 to 2007 and helped establish Howey as a recognizable television performer.
Several years later, he took on one of his most recognizable roles: Kevin “Kev” Ball in Showtime’s Shameless. The series ran for 11 seasons and concluded in 2021, with Howey remaining an important part of the ensemble throughout its run.
That contrast between the lighter world of Reba and the much darker, more adult comedy-drama of Shameless illustrates the range that has kept Steve Howey working consistently for decades.
Steve Howey’s Age and Early Life
Steve Howey was born on July 12, 1977, in San Antonio, Texas. His birth name is Steve Michael Robert Howey. IMDb lists his height at 6 feet 4 inches.
His childhood was not a conventional Hollywood upbringing. According to biographical information, his parents raised him around sailboats and he spent part of his youth traveling along the Pacific Coast. His father, Bill Howey, was an acting coach, giving Steve an early connection to the performing arts.
Before fully committing to acting, Howey also had an interest in basketball. He attended Northeastern Junior College in Colorado for two years on a basketball scholarship. His eventual decision to pursue acting came after studying with his father.
That background helps explain why his career did not follow a straightforward path from childhood acting directly into Hollywood. Athletics, family influences, and performance all played a role in shaping his early ambitions.
Steve Howey’s Education
Howey graduated from Green Mountain High School in Lakewood, Colorado. He then attended Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, where he received a basketball scholarship.
His education is particularly interesting because basketball initially offered him a potential professional direction. Acting ultimately became the career he pursued, but the athletic background later became useful in roles that required physicality and an imposing screen presence.
Rather than following a traditional four-year university-to-Hollywood route, Howey developed his acting experience through practical training and early professional opportunities.
Steve Howey’s Acting Career
Early Television Work
Steve Howey began building his screen career during the 1990s. His early television appearances included programs such as The Drew Carey Show and Get Real. These smaller roles helped him develop experience before he landed a major recurring television character.
Early television work is often important for actors because it provides experience with different directors, production environments, and styles of performance. For Howey, those early credits eventually led to the role that brought him widespread recognition.
Breakthrough Role on Reba
Howey’s major breakthrough came with Reba. He played Van Montgomery, a young football player who marries Cheyenne Hart, Reba’s daughter.
The character allowed Howey to showcase his comedic timing while also playing a young husband and eventually a father. Reba premiered in 2001 and became an important part of his early career.
For many longtime viewers, Van remains one of Steve Howey’s defining roles.
The show also created an interesting connection to his later career. Years after Reba ended, Howey reunited with Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman on McEntire’s NBC sitcom Happy’s Place, where he appeared as Danny.
Film Career
While television became his strongest professional platform, Steve Howey also developed a film résumé.
Some of his notable movie credits include:
- Supercross: The Movie
- DOA: Dead or Alive
- Bride Wars
- Still Waiting…
- Stan Helsing
- Something Borrowed
- In Your Eyes
- Day Shift
His film work has covered comedy, romance, action, and genre projects. He also appeared opposite Kate Hudson in both Bride Wars and Something Borrowed, giving him an unusual connection between two romantic comedy projects.
Steve Howey in Shameless
For a large part of the modern audience, Steve Howey is most closely associated with Kevin Ball, or “Kev,” on Shameless.
Kevin is the bartender and later co-owner of The Alibi Room, and his relationship with Veronica Fisher makes him an important part of the series’ South Side Chicago community.
Howey’s performance worked because Kevin could be both humorous and surprisingly sincere. The character often found himself surrounded by chaos, but his loyalty to Veronica and the people around him gave the role an emotional foundation.
Shameless ultimately ran for 11 seasons, ending in 2021. Howey’s performance as Kevin became one of the most recognizable parts of his television career.
Other Television Roles
Howey continued working outside Shameless. His television credits include appearances in Sons of Anarchy, New Girl, and other series.
He later played Harry Tasker in the CBS action series True Lies, a television adaptation inspired by the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger film. The series premiered in 2023 but was canceled after one season.
The role demonstrated another side of Howey’s acting ability. Unlike Kevin Ball’s grounded comedy, True Lies required action-oriented performance, physicality, and a different type of leading-man presence.
Steve Howey and Happy’s Place
One of the more memorable developments after Shameless was Steve Howey’s return to the world of Reba.
In 2024, he appeared on Happy’s Place, the NBC sitcom starring Reba McEntire. Howey played Danny, a wealthy businessman who becomes connected to Melissa Peterman’s character.
The appearance was significant for fans because it reunited Howey with members of his former Reba cast more than 15 years after the original sitcom ended.
His return also demonstrated how a recognizable television role can continue to shape an actor’s public identity long after the original series has finished.
Steve Howey’s Wife and Marriage
Steve Howey was married to actress Sarah Shahi, whom viewers may recognize from television series including Person of Interest.
The couple became engaged in 2007 and married on February 7, 2009, in Las Vegas. Their relationship eventually came to an end, and they filed for divorce in 2020. Their divorce was finalized in 2021.
Although both have maintained successful entertainment careers, their marriage is no longer current. Therefore, describing Sarah Shahi as Steve Howey’s “current wife” would be inaccurate.
Steve Howey’s Children and Family
Steve Howey and Sarah Shahi have three children.
Their first child, a son named William Wolf Howey, was born in July 2009. The couple later welcomed twins, daughter Violet Moon and son Knox Blue, in March 2015.
Family has been an important part of Howey’s public story, although he has generally maintained a distinction between his professional visibility and his children’s private lives.
His experience as a father has also created an interesting connection to his work. On Shameless, Kevin and Veronica’s family life becomes an important part of the story, while Howey was raising children of his own during much of the show’s run.
What Is Steve Howey Known For?
If someone is discovering Steve Howey for the first time, four projects provide a useful starting point:
| Project | Role | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Reba | Van Montgomery | His major early television breakthrough |
| Shameless | Kevin “Kev” Ball | His best-known long-running dramatic-comedy role |
| True Lies | Harry Tasker | A leading role in an action television adaptation |
| Happy’s Place | Danny | A reunion with the Reba television world |
These roles show the breadth of Howey’s career. He has moved from sitcom comedy to dark comedy-drama, action television, and film.
Steve Howey’s Career Style and Acting Range
One reason Steve Howey has remained recognizable across different genres is his ability to balance physical presence with comedy.
At 6 feet 4 inches, he naturally has a commanding screen presence. Yet many of his best-known roles rely heavily on humor and vulnerability rather than simply physical toughness.
As Van Montgomery, he played an energetic and sometimes immature young husband. As Kevin Ball, he combined comic innocence with loyalty and emotional warmth. In True Lies, he shifted toward action and espionage.
That range has allowed Howey to avoid being permanently defined by a single genre.
Steve Howey’s Net Worth
A precise figure for Steve Howey’s current net worth is not reliably established through authoritative public financial records.
Celebrity net-worth websites often publish estimates, but those numbers can differ substantially and are not necessarily based on verified financial documents. For that reason, it is better to avoid presenting an exact net-worth figure as fact.
His long-running television work, film appearances, production credits, and continuing acting career indicate a substantial professional career, but his personal finances remain private.
Steve Howey’s Career After Shameless
The end of Shameless did not mark the end of Howey’s acting career. Instead, it opened the door to a variety of new projects.
He appeared in the action-comedy film Day Shift and continued taking television roles, including True Lies. He also returned to the Reba universe through Happy’s Place.
His continued work illustrates an important aspect of his career: he has not relied exclusively on one famous character.
Instead, Howey has continued to explore comedy, action, drama, and ensemble television while maintaining the recognizable personality that audiences associate with him.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Steve Howey?
Steve Howey was born on July 12, 1977. He is 49 years old as of August 2026.
Who is Steve Howey’s wife?
Steve Howey was married to actress Sarah Shahi. They married in 2009 and divorced in 2021.
How many children does Steve Howey have?
Steve Howey has three children with his former wife Sarah Shahi: a son, William Wolf, and twins, Violet Moon and Knox Blue.
What is Steve Howey best known for?
He is best known for playing Van Montgomery on Reba and Kevin Ball on Shameless. His other notable work includes True Lies, Day Shift, and numerous film and television appearances.
Where was Steve Howey born?
Steve Howey was born in San Antonio, Texas, in the United States.
Did Steve Howey play Van on Reba?
Yes. Steve Howey played Van Montgomery on Reba, one of the roles that established him as a recognizable television actor.
Did Steve Howey appear in Shameless?
Yes. He played Kevin “Kev” Ball on Shameless, becoming one of the show’s longest-serving cast members. The series ended after 11 seasons in 2021.
What did Steve Howey do after Shameless?
After Shameless, Howey continued working in film and television. His later credits include Day Shift, True Lies, and an appearance on Reba McEntire’s Happy’s Place.
Conclusion
Steve Howey’s career is a strong example of how an actor can evolve beyond a breakout television role. From Van Montgomery on Reba to Kevin Ball on Shameless, he has created characters that remain memorable for very different reasons.
His career also extends well beyond those two sitcoms. Film appearances, action projects, dramatic roles, and later television work have allowed him to demonstrate a broader range than his most famous characters might initially suggest.
At 49, Steve Howey remains an established figure in American television and film. His unusual early life, athletic background, acting training, long-running television roles, and continued work after Shameless all contribute to a career that has lasted for decades.
For viewers discovering him through Shameless, Reba, True Lies, or newer projects, Steve Howey’s filmography offers plenty of opportunities to see how his style and range have developed over time.
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